‘Tis the Season… (aka Bragging and Planning)

…for southeastern bouldering!

I’ve often called bouldering the art of frustration. Takes a lot of work and a lot of failed tries for me to send a new problem, especially when it is at a new grade or a grade I am just breaking into. All boulderers have their own reason why they put up with the struggle. For me, I put up with it because of how awesome it is to stick a new move, to link a new sequence, and of course to send. (And other reasons not enumerated here). But I also have another (no so) secret reason… it is the hope, the hope that one day I won’t have a mediocre or good session, that one day I will have a veritable crushfest. I also hope that I am not the only climber that holds this ridiculous dream. But long story short: yesterday, for the first time in my bouldering career, I had one of those days. It was great to see how much I have progressed from the last time I bouldered at Rumbling Bald.

I can’t figure out how to write about my day without feeling overly self obsessed and awkward. But I have to share a few things: the top-out on Rotator Cuff is no joke, especially when the temps are a little on the warm side. Luckily, although I came to the boulderfield by myself, I ran into Nic who, after surviving a deadly bee attack at the Harder Than it Seems Boulder, was willing to throw down his pad and work the sit-down-start version of the problem. But back to the story at hand: slopey top-out terror on Rotator Cuff. I did it, but it wasn’t pretty and it wouldn’t have happened if Nic hadn’t yelled, “Don’t fall off! Your foot is only an inch away from the edge!”

Also, shortly after working on Rotator Cuff, another friend Josh Cooper showed up. He and I quickly did Helicopter sds together. Then he helped me work out the beta on one of my next projects: Terminator Exit. Super Psyched!

Moral of the Story: Friends make bouldering awesome and possible. Also, Josh asked me to mention him in the post. Ha.

Now on to the good stuff! Goals for the bouldering season! Yesterday made me realize this can be a season for me to set some goals and start sending things in some new territory. I also think I climb better when I have some clear goals of problems I would like to complete. Sadly, right now I don’t have my Rumbling Bald Guide so it is a little bit hard to seek out problems I am not already familiar with, but I am making a list and have one big less specific goal: V7!

The Goal List:

@ Rumbling Bald (without guidebook access)

-Pit BBQ
-Terminator Exit
-Kung-Fu Grip
-Black Slab Left (sds maybe)
-DRTR
-Red Sleigh Down

@Rocktown

-Golden Shower (or Harvest) whichever is the v5ish line
-Croc Bloc
-Soap on a Rope

@Obed

-Solstice
-Superfinal
-Medial Tear

…So the list could go on. I’ve got big dreams you know. But I didn’t just make the list to be oddly self-indulgent. I made it so it would exist as more than just a vague idea in my head. I’m psyched, lets all go make lists, then send together!